What makes a good leader?  What makes someone fit to be in charge?  Everyone works for someone, if it’s your supervisor, boss, or just the client; everybody has to work to please somebody.  But what is the line you have to draw and say, this person wasn’t meant to be a leader, not a true leader, they might make a good politician and be able to accomplish parts of the job, but as for an actual leader…what qualities does a person need to have? 

I think that a real leader needs to be able to do more than manage things, a real leader needs to be able to delegate, earn the trust of their followers/workers, and most importantly be above all of the normal work drama.  If a leader gets sucked into the drama of the workers, they have failed.  If they can be easily persuaded without any evidence or logic in a situation then you know they will fail.  In order to be an effective leader you need to be able to put your personal feelings aside and work with everyone to be successful at the task at hand, no matter what that task is.  Talking in circles is something to leave to the politicians wanting publicity, a real leader isn’t afraid to state plainly what they believe is right.  A real leader will stand up for those that work with them.  A real leader will directly address a problem and acknowledge that they are working with adults who can and will make their own decisions, and can hold their own.  If someone isn’t doing their part to make things work, then the leader should get rid of them.  A leader needs to do what is best for the whole group, company, etc.  Not what is best for them.  The leader looks out for all of those that need to trust them to make everything run smoothly. 

If the person in charge doesn’t have the trust of those that work under them then they are not a leader, they simply have a title that looks better on a resume.  Trust and support is what I believe the innerworkings of all jobs, offices, work places need to be based on in order for everyone to work  together to make the business successful. 

If you can’t trust your “leader”, then it’s time to stop following them up.  It’s our job to make improvements to what we know isn’t right.  It’s important that we do not blindly follow people simply because they have a leadership title.  There is more to being a leader than holding the title.